Pneumatic weft detector for looms



Dec. 2l 1926. 1*,61,394

R.V G. TURNER PNEUMATIC WEFT DETECTOR FOR LOOMS l Filed Sept. 22. i925 I'v2.Sheets-Shevet 1 Dec. 21

R. G. TURNER v PNEUMATIC wEFT DETECTOR FOR LoomsH 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FiledSept. 22, 1925 iii) Patented ltec. 21, 1926.

Parent erstes.

RICHARD GREENLEAF TRNER, OF 'W@KOESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TOCROIVIPTON a KNOW/'LES LQM EVRKS, OF VIGRCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, A COR-PORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

PNEUMATIC WEET DETECTGR FR LOOMS.

Application filed September 22, 1925. vSerial No. 57,916.

rlhis invention relates to improvements in `weft detectors for looms andit is the principal object of the invention to provide a detect-oroperative to give an indication upon substantial weft exhaustion soconstructed that no portion thereof has direct contact with any part ofthe weft supply.

In the weaving of certain fabrics involving very fine yarn it is foundthat the supply of weft lasts for so long a time that the usual forms ofweft detector abrades the yarn and causes ultimate failure of the samebefore the weft is exhausted. Various attempts have been made to developdetectors i to meet this condition, but all of them, so far as I amaware, require direct contact with some portion of the weft supply orcarrier therefor.

In carrying out my invention I provide means to secure an indication ofweft eX- haustion by means which will not come in contact in any waywith the supply of weft and it is accordingly a further object of myinvention to provide a pneumatic detector to cooperate with a specialform of bobbin so arranged that while suiiicient weft for continuedweaving is present a stream of air will be deflected, but as soon as thesupply is depleted suiiiciently to render replenishment necessary thestream of air will be permitted to pass through an opening in the weftcarrier and to move a member to indicate weft exhaustion.

It is a further object of my invention to provide means for varying thestrength of the air blast cooperating with the detected surface, theparticular method shown herein involving an adjustment between the layand the piston of the air compressor.

It is a still further object of my` invention to operate a pneumaticdetector by air compressed through'the action of the lay.

ith these and -other objects in view which will appear as thedescription `proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts hereinafter described and set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings wherein I have shown a convenientembodiment of my invention,

the parts moved to indicating position and the lay on front center,

Fig. is a horizontal section on line 5-5 of Fig. 4,

Fig. G is an enlarged longitudinal section through the end of thecontroller, member acted on by the stream of air, and

Fig. 7 is a vertical central section through *i the air compressorshowing the action of the spring in continuing to compress air after thelay has passed front center.

Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that I have provided aloomside l0 and a lay 1l of the usual form, said loomside supporting areplenishing mechanism l2, preferably of the multi-color type. The layis slotted as at 13 for the passage of an expelled bobbin and carries abox back la which, together with the binder l5, forms a boX for theshuttles. K

In carrying out my invention I provide an air compressor C held in fixedposition and having a piston having a connector rod 3l on which isslidably mounted a loose collar 32; n A spring 33 is interposed betweenthe collar and the piston and is strong enough to move the piston downwhen the collar descends. A lever 3a is pivoted on a stud 35 secured toa bracket 36 and has driving connection with collar 32 at the forwardend thereof. An upstanding armv 37 formed on the lever Mis slotted asat- 38 to receive a stud 39 adjustahly fastened to said arm. A roll 40on the stud is positioned to engage a bunter il carried by the lay andan adjustable stopV screw 4:2 on lever engages a horn i3 of bracket 36to limit movement of the roll toward the hunter under llt) influence ofspring tl interposed between the lever and the bracket to raise thepiston 30.

By means of the mechanism thus far described the spring 33 is compressedon each forward stroke of the lay and serves to move the pistondownwardly. Energy derived from the lay will be stored in the spring sothat the latter will continue to compress air while the lay is on frontcenter and after it starts to move rearwardly.

A flexible tube is pneumatically connected to the compressor and leadsto a nipple a6 threaded in an openingl 47 formed in box back lt. y

A Vstand t8 secured to the loom frame is provided with a cap 49 betweenywhich and said stand is mount-ed for free sliding movement a controller50 the rear end `of which is cup shaped as at 5l (see Fig. 6). `Saidcontroller is provided with an offset portion slotted as at 52 and hassecured thereto a collar 53 which receives the rearward thrirft ol' alight spring` 54 located between said collar and the stand 48.

rEhe slot 52of the controller 50 is 1n vertical alignment with a slot 55formed in the cap 49 so that under normal conditions a verticallyreciprocating actuator lever 56 is free to move from the slot 55 intothe slot 52. An adjusting screw 5T mounted in the stand a8 determinesthe rear `position ofl the controller..

'ln carrying out my invention I employ a bobbin l having a horizontallydisposed slot 5S which is in alignment with front and rear slots 59 and60. respectively, formed in the walls of shuttle S. @n the forwardstroke of the lay the compressor will force air through tube 45 andcause it to issue through slot 60 of the shuttle. So longl as sutlicientyarn for continued weaving is on the bobbon vthe slot 58 will be coveredand the air directed against the yarn will be deiiectedabove and belowthe bobbin as indicated by the arrows in Figs. l and 2 so as not tostrike the cup 5l of the eoi'itroller 50. The latter will thereforepermit unniterrupted downward motion ot actuator lever 56.

As soon as the weft becomes depleted enough to require replenishment theblast `ot air will pass through slet 58 in the bobbin and strike the cup5l to move the saine "ftnvnirdlv until slot 52 moves out of align 'mentwith slot and a solid portion of the The cup 5l at no time comes incontact with the yarn7 being spaced from the latter when the lay is onfront center as indicated in Fig. 2. The lever 56 is timed to start downwhen the lay has almost reached front center and the full iicomingg)lbobbin prevents the stream of from moving` the controller on atransferring piel; under the lever at the time the latter starts down. Asecond indication is therefore prevented. "By means ol' the slottedadjustment of the roll l0 the amount of the lay motion used forcon'ilnfess'ing air may be varied to the end that the time duringl whichthe stream of air blows agains the bobbin may be changed with respect tothe cycle of the pick. Any one of several known devices may be used toplace the bobbins in the shuttle with the slots 58 horizontal.

From the foregoing Vit will be :seen that l have provided. a detectoroperative upon the substantial exhaustion of weft, but operating in sucha manner as at no time to have direct contact either with the supply ofweft or the carrier therefor. Also, the time during which the air blastis operative may be varied with respect to the cyclo of the pick so asto come early or late with regard to the down motion 'of actuator lever5G. lt will further be noted that the cooperating elements which serveto give an indication of weft exhaustion are independent of the shuttleand the weft supply so that Ythe latter may be in the form of a cop andnot necessarily carried by a bobbin.

Having thus described my invention it will be apparent that changes andmodilications may be made therein by those skilled in the art withoutdeparting `from the spirit and scope of the invention, and l do not wishto be limitedto the details herein disclosed, but what 'l claim is:

l. In a weft deter'tor for a loom having `a shuttle and a supply of wefttherein. an

element responsive to air nessure to indicate depletion of weft, andmeans to project a stream of air toward the supply of weft and theelement, the latter being` shielded from the action of the stream of airby a suflicient supply of weft and exposed to the action ofthe stream ofair bj1.' a depleted supply of weft.

2. ln a weft detector .for loom having` a shuttle and a supply of wefttherein. means to direct a stream'o't air toward the supply of weft, anelement responsive to the stream of air located on one side 'of the weftsupply, said means directing the stream of air toward the element fromthe other side of the weft supply.y the element beine shielded from theai tion of the stream of air by a sutiicientsupplvof weft and expoe-edto the action ofthe earn ot air to glie au indication wheniusu'li'icient weft is present.

llt)

lil

lthe shuttle, said passage being normally closed by a suliicient supplyof yarn and open when the yarn supply is depleted, an element responsiveto fluid pressure to indicate weft exhaustion located at one side of thepassage, and means to project fluid under pressure through the passageto actuate the element when the passage is opened by a depleted weftsupply.

5. In a weft detector for looms having a shuttle and a supply of wefttherein, means out of contact with the supply of weft at all times todirect a blast of air against said suply of weit, and a movable devicelocated on the side of the weft supply opposite said means, the supplyof yarn deecting the blast of air away from said movable device whensufficient yarn is present and said blast of air moving the movabledevice when insufficient yarn is present.

6. In a weft detector for looms having a shuttle and a supply of wefttherein, a movable member adjacent the shuttle and weft supply but outof Contact with the latter at all times, and means located on theopposite side of the shuttle from said movable member to direct a blastof air against the weft supply, said means being out of contact with thewett supply at all times, the blast of air being deflected from saidmember when a sufiicientsupply of weft is present and the blast of airmoving from the means through space previously occupied by weft to themovable member to move the latter to give an indication of weftexhaustion when insuiiicient weftv is present.

7. In weft detecting mechanism for looms, a bobbin having an openingtherethrough normally covered by a suiiicient supply of wett anduncovered when the weft is depleted to an extent rendering replenishmentnecessary, means located on one side of the bobbin to blow a blast ofair through the opening at the time of substantial exhaustion, and meanslocated on the other side of the bobbin and movable by the blast of airpassing through the bobbin to indicate exhaustion oi weft.

8. In wett detecting mechanism for looms, mechanism to indicate weftexhaustion, a bobbin having an opening therethrough normally closed whensumcient yarn is present but uncovered when the yarn is depleted,

and means to cause ablast of air to pass through the opening of adepleted vbobbin and actuate said mechanism.

9. In a weft detector for looms, mechanism movable to indicate weftexhaustion, means to direct a blast of air toward said mechanism, and abobbin interposed between said indicating mechanism and the means andhaving an opening normally covered by a suiicient supply of weft butuncovered when the weft is depleted, said slot in the bobbin being inalignment with said mechanism and means and said mechanism being movableby the blast of air when the opening is uncovered.

10. In a weft replenishing loom, a lay, a shuttle thereon, a supply ofweft carried by the shuttle, a member movable to indicate weftexhaustion, means to direct a blast of air through the shuttle to movesaid movable member when the supply of weft is depleted, and means tocause said blast of air to continue after the lay reaches the limit ofits "forward movement.

11. In a weftreplenishing loom, a lay, a shuttle carried thereby, asupply of weft located in the shuttle, a member out of contact with theyarn at all times and movable to give an indication of wett exhaustion,mechanism to cause a blast of air to strike the movable member wheninsufficient weft is present, and connections beween the lay and themechanism to continue the blast of air after the lay reaches the limitof its forn pneumatic detector, an air compressor, connections betweenthe lay and the air compressor to operate the pneumatic detector, andmeans to vary the time of operation ot said connections between the layand the compressor to vary the time at which said compressor operateswith respect to the movement of the lay.

13. In a pneumatic weft detector for a Wett replenishing loom, acontroller to indicate Wett exhaustion and occupying one position Whensufiicient Wett is present and occupying another position wheninsuiicient wett 1s present, said controller having a surface responsiveto air pressure, a bobbin, and means to direct a stream of air againstthe bobbin and toward the responsive surface, said bobbin whensupplied'with suricient weft deflectingthe air away from the controllerand said bobbin being so formed that when insuliicient wet is thereonair will reach the surface responsive to air pressure to cause saidcontroller to occupy the position to indicate weft exhaustion.

14. In a pneumatic wett detector 'for a weft replenishing loom, acontroller to indicate wett exhaustion and occupying one position whensuthcient weft is present and ocllt) 4: or Y1,611,394:

eupying another position when insuioient stentiriily exhausted to permitair to Ipass We''t is present, seid controller/having@ sulto the surfacevresponsive to air pressure to 10 face responsive to fair pressure,abobbin, and Cause seid control-1er to occupy the position `means tovdirect a stream of `air against the to indicate weftexhaustion.

bobbin and toward the responsive surface, ln' testimony whereof I havehereunto said bobbin having a hoie 'therein normal-1y eixed mysignature.

Covered when sufficient weft is present `but uncovered when the supplyof weft is sub- RICHARD GREENLEAF TURNER.

